


The Stars Get Red

by orphan_account



Category: Druck | SKAM (Germany)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, dance lessons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 12:24:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20174215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Matteo's going to his mom's wedding and asks his best friend David to teach him how to dance. It brings up some feelings...





	The Stars Get Red

Matteo’s joint is nearly burnt to down to a crisp between his fingers, but he still takes one more drag. It tastes like ash. He drops the rest into an empty bottle on the nightstand next to his bed and shakily exhales before dramatically throwing himself backwards into his pillows. David has the nerve to laugh at the whole thing, which infuriates Matteo for three reasons. One, it’s not funny. Two, even though David is making fun of him, he still feels a little flutter because of it. Three, he doesn’t know why.

“Such a drama queen,” David teases from Matteo’s desk chair, looking up from his sketchbook for a brief moment before looking down again.

The absolute nerve. Matteo takes one of his pillows and chucks it directly at David’s head. David barely even flinches and knocks it to the floor before setting his sketchbook down and gently handing it back to Matteo, who promptly covers his entire face with it.

“I’ll definitely be expected to dance,” Matteo laments witheringly, “and I can’t. I can’t, okay? Or perhaps more importantly, I won’t. I’ll eat cake, yes. I’ll even make a speech. But dancing? Absolutely not.”

“Oh stop,” David chuckles, “it’s not so bad. Everyone’ll be drunk anyway. Just don’t drink a lot. Then everyone else will be so drunk that you’ll look good in comparison.”

Matteo lifts the pillow to look at David. “Is that your strategy then?”

“Well I, for one, can actually dance,” David tells him, eyes glinting. Matteo can see it all the way from his bed. “But if I couldn’t, it’s what I’d do.”

And David really can dance. Matteo’s seen him do it a lot, both when they were younger and even now sometimes, though they don’t go to parties much anymore. When David dances, it’s like he was born for it, each move so effortless it might as well have been choreographed. On the rare occasion Matteo dances, he looks like a fish on land, flopping from one place to another with no grace whatsoever before he retreats to the sideline in shame.

“Well, if you’re so great..” Matteo starts, trailing off.

“You know I am,” David replies without missing a beat.

“If you’re so great, then teach me. The wedding’s not for another 3 weeks. Make me into a dancer, David.”

Matteo kind of says it without thinking, but now that he’s done it, it’s actually not such a bad idea. Most of his distant family hasn’t seen him for years and he doesn’t want to look like an idiot in front of them, even though he’d never admit that he cares. And if he abstains from dancing entirely, it’s kind of counterproductive. He’s trying to repair things with his mom and he doesn’t want to look… unsupportive or whatever. He just wants to be a good son, the best son he can be, to make up for all the time lost when he was younger.

David doesn’t look quite as sold on the idea, running his fingers through his hair anxiously before blinking a couple times. If Matteo weren’t busy second guessing himself, he could’ve sworn David might even have flushed a little bit, but as of right now he thinks perhaps he’s just projecting, because David isn’t saying anything at all. The more the silence drags on, the more Matteo wonders if maybe he overstepped. I mean, sure, they’re best friends, but they don’t _do_ stuff like this. They play video games and watch movies, and sometimes hug.

Matteo watches David’s features relax back into composure.

“Fine,” he agrees.

Matteo sits up. “You don’t have to, David. I was just kidding anyway. Kinda.”

“You were kinda kidding?” David asks, chucking, “No, it’s fine, but you gotta be up for the challenge, okay Matteo? Rest assured, I can and will make you into a dancer, but we have to work together here.”

And Matteo feels a little nervous suddenly, like perhaps he signed up for more than he’d intended. It’s the way David’s looking at him right now too, like Matteo’s in for something he doesn’t know about yet. He looks away, playing with a string unraveling from his duvet, and shrugs.

“Okay,” he tells David, going for nonchalance. “When do we start?”

“Tomorrow. I’m not dressed for it today,” David answers, gesturing down at his too-tight skinny jeans and silky black shirt.

Why does David dress that way when he comes over to Matteo’s anyway? Matteo has never been able to figure it out, but David always looks nice when he’s just there, lounging in Matteo’s desk chair. He looks better when he comes over to Matteo’s than he does when he goes everywhere else somehow, swapping out the dress shirts for baggy ones on most other occasions. But never here, never in Matteo's room.

Matteo leans forward and holds out his hand, which David grips in his own and shakes.

“It’s a deal,” Matteo says, and David nods in agreement.

***

The next day, David comes over for their first dance lesson. He’s dressed in grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt. He looks like an athlete, like the jock of the school. Matteo hasn’t been doing much all day besides watching videos on his computer and eating ice cream sandwiches. David frowns at the sight of the wrappers.

“Okay first of all, how are you supposed to dance after eating all of these?” David asks, taking one and inspecting it before tossing it aside again.

“I mean, it’s just dancing right? It’s no big deal,” Matteo mumbles, standing up to shake off his shirt, a few crumbs falling to the floor.

“_Just dancing_, he says,” David mutters. “Please adjust your attitude before we begin our lesson today.”

“You’re taking this way too seriously,” Matteo rolls his eyes, kicking some discarded clothes aside and making room in the center of the floor.

“It’s not a laughing matter, Matteo. It’s dance, the language of the soul,” David tries to look stern but ends up breaking into a smile at just the tail-end of his sentence, and Matteo smiles too.

“Anyways. What kind of music should I play?” Matteo asks, plugging his phone into the speakers on the tv stand.

“How about something upbeat?” David suggests, leaning down to roll up the bottoms of his sweatpants.

Matteo picks some type of party music playlist, and the first song is obnoxiously lively, but David seems to approve because he’s nodding his head slightly in the same rhythm as the beat of the drum.

“So basically, you just feel the music,” and then David starts moving a little more and Matteo wonders if maybe it’s the other way around, if maybe the music feels David, and that’s why he’s so blessed. Because he looks amazing, is the thing.

Just the sight makes Matteo wants to back out, because even though David is his best friend and he’s never judged Matteo, not even for a second… it just all still feels like too much. Like Matteo’s really about to make a complete fool of himself and for some reason he doesn’t want to, not in front of David. Not when David’s so innately talented, gliding from one move to another without a hitch.

But just as Matteo’s about to go over to his phone and shut the music off, David grabs his wrist and yanks him back, and suddenly he’s got David’s hands on his waist and he’s being moved from side to side. He can feel where David’s hands are and it feels so much warmer there, like Matteo’s on fire in just those two places, and cold everywhere else.

“See?” David asks, and no. Matteo doesn’t see. But David looks way too excited right now, like a kid with a new toy on Christmas, so Matteo starts to move a little on his own until David’s hands are gone from his waist entirely and he’s just trying to recreate the movement.

“You’re getting it,” David encourages, and Matteo doesn’t really believe him but he’s in too deep now so he doesn’t stop, either. “Okay, now try this.”

David does a little twirl before easing back into the same rhythm from before. Matteo tries to replicate the twirl and ends up nearly tripping over his own feet, and David chuckles before telling Matteo to try again. This time, it’s a little better, though Matteo still feels like a baby deer just fresh out of the womb, with 4 more limbs than he knows what to do with.

“Now this,” and David’s now involving his arms, throwing them out to the side and then gliding from one place to another, ending with a twirl.

When Matteo tries this one, he knows he looks like an awkward mess but it’s a little more fun somehow, so he does it twice in a row. When he stops, David looks so proud that he does it a third time.

***

David comes over 2 days later for another dance lesson. It’s particularly hot when he arrives around noon, sun shining from the highest point in the sky and right through Matteo’s windows. They’re both sweating is the thing, and Matteo’s uncomfortable.

Today, David’s got a different lesson prepared, which involves their legs and perhaps more importantly their hips. Matteo tries to get out of it but David insists, and it’s not like Matteo can say no, not when David looks so crushed at the mere thought of Matteo turning him down.

So David shows him. He shows him how to use his hips when he dances, how to fluidly move them and make it look beautiful. And goddamn, David looks beautiful, even Matteo can admit that. At first, he tries not to stare, but then he gives up. David’s showing him how to dance, right? So where else is he supposed to look? He ends up watching from his spot on the edge of his bed, and tries not to feel guilty at how much he’s enjoying it.

For Matteo, this doesn’t really feel like a lesson anymore. It feels like he’s watching his best friend dance closer than he’s ever allowed himself to before. But David doesn’t even seem to be fully aware of Matteo’s presence, instead lost his movements and the music. Matteo finds himself wishing he could switch bodies with David so David could go to this damn wedding in his place. Then maybe he wouldn’t be in this position right now, uncomfortable because of the buzzing in his brain while he tries to reel in the way he feels right now. Too hot for comfort.

“Alright, get up,” David tells him over the music, and it takes Matteo a moment to realize he’s even talking. He stays rooted to his spot and, like yesterday, David ends up grabbing his hand and yanking him up.

And just like yesterday, David’s hands are on Matteo’s waist as he guides him, but now the dance is centered around hips so it’s all the more noticeable. Matteo can feel the sweat on his back as it glues skin to shirt, and he reaches down to lift his neckline away from his chest, pulling it out and then back in like a fan.

“Take it off.”

And what?

“What?” Matteo asks just in case it was some auditory hallucination from the heat, leaning backwards to look David in his eyes, but no.. bad idea. David’s eyes are all the more striking up close, shades of brown framed with the thickest eyelashes he’s ever seen. Matteo looks away towards the wall behind them.

“Just take your shirt off,” David clarifies, and then he’s reaching down and lifting the hem of Matteo’s shirt slightly.

Shit. This is so beyond what Matteo signed up for, yet he feels like he could pass out at any moment, so he lifts his shirt off the rest of the way and then up over his head, throwing it to the side.

David’s hands find their way back to Matteo’s hips and it burns.

It’s like almost everything freezes except the music, thumping alongside Matteo’s heart. At least one part of his body has rhythm, he thinks.

Then David is squeezing a little and pushing Matteo’s hips to the side then back.

“Just move, Matteo, feel the music…”

And because Matteo has so much nervous energy right now, he does. He moves his hips and he feels like it could almost be fluid, helped of course by David’s hands, but then David starts moving his own hips again and Matteo just… fucks up. His movements turn from nearly fluid to completely jerky and David has to keep correcting him, moving his hips in the same rhythm as his own. Neither of them has said anything for a minute now, and Matteo doesn’t think there’s anything he can say really, other than the fact that he never thought he’d be here, like this. Shirtless and dancing with his best friend.

But then the music stops, and David’s pulling his hands away and Matteo wants to yank them back again. He really, really wants to. He doesn’t know why, but it’s such a guttural knee jerk reaction that he does, because he can’t help it. He grabs David’s hands and places them firmly back on his hips even though there’s no music, and David can’t keep the shock from his face. Matteo watches it pass over his features like a shadow, before he settles into a smug grin.

“So you like dancing now?” David teases, and Matteo’s too embarrassed to even roll his eyes.

The next song starts and David pushes and pulls Matteo’s hips again, moving him to the rhythm, and Matteo lets him. They keep a safe distance for most of the song, but then David’s pulling Matteo closer and suddenly they’re touching in multiple places. First, their chests are touching and Matteo can feel the scratch of David’s shirt on his bare skin. Then, their stomachs. And lastly, their hips. Their hips are touching and moving together, and David slides his hands to Matteo’s lower back, still guiding him. And they don’t stop, not for another three songs. Then David stops suddenly, yanking backwards and grabbing his bag.

He leaves in a hurry, barely shutting Matteo’s door all the way before he flees.

***

David doesn’t come over for another dance lesson that week and Matteo doesn’t text him either. He’s just so guilty about the whole thing.

The thing is, since David left, he’s been struggling. First of all, he was more turned on than he can ever remember in his life and he’s never let himself think like that about David. I mean, sure. He can admit he has an attractive best friend. Everyone sees David and knows he’s attractive. Everyone would probably even kiss David if they got the chance and Matteo’s certainly no exception. But this is so beyond that, and Matteo’s ashamed.

He wants to kiss David, but he also wants David’s hands back on his hips and everywhere else too. And perhaps even worse, he wants to cuddle with David and wake up next to him and take him to the wedding as his date. He wants to introduce him as his boyfriend.

It almost hurts to think about, so he tries not to. He tries to smoke joints and play video games and numb his thoughts.

And it almost works, until David shows up at his door 6 days later.

***

David’s not wearing sweatpants.

That’s the first thing Matteo notices somehow. He’s wearing tight jeans again, and a tight top too, and Matteo looks. Briefly. He can’t help it.

“Hi,” David greets, and he looks almost nervous, fidgeting with his hands.

“Hey,” Matteo greets back, then gets up to give David a hug. It’s fine. They’re still best friends and he missed him. Even though now his thoughts are a little more cloudy than that when it comes to David. It briefly occurs to him that maybe they always were foggy, deep down, and he’s just realizing it. Somehow the way he feels about David right now is oddly familiar, like a feeling he’s had before but could never quite pinpoint.

David hugs back, but he pulls away too quickly. Matteo feels cold. Then he feels slightly angry.

“Where have you _been_?” he asks, trying to sound casual even though he knows he doesn’t. He sounds desperate, like his lifeline had been yanked without his consent. And he hates it, hates how much he sometimes feels like he needs David.

“I don’t know, Matteo,” David sighs. “Around. I came back because I wanted to see if you’d like another dance lesson.”

And what? But okay. Matteo nods so quickly his hair falls into his eyes. “Yes, please. The weddings in just a week now.”

“I know,” David smiles. “I’d like to select the song though, if that’s okay.”

Matteo nods again, and David goes to the speakers to plug in his own phone. David’s still got a smile on his face but he still looks nervous too.

A guitar starts. It’s different than the music they’ve been dancing to before. Slower. Matteo gives David a questioning look, and he just laughs slightly, running his hand through his hair.

“Slow dancing is a part of weddings too, Matteo.”

And it’s a fair point, but it makes Matteo so nervous he can barely even breath at the moment. David reaches both hands out to Matteo and Matteo takes them, letting himself be pulled toward David. Closer. They begin to sway. 

David twirls Matteo, and Matteo laughs in spite of himself, so he twirls him again. And then he’s staring straight into Matteo’s eyes and Matteo can feel himself blushing because David’s looking at him so tenderly, like he’s the most gorgeous thing David’s ever seen. The butterflies in Matteo’s chest have become nearly unbearable so he looks away and up at the ceiling.

He feels his face burn so hot and David must notice too, because he’s taking one hand from Matteo’s grip and running his fingers along Matteo’s cheeks as they dance, and this doesn’t feel like a lesson anymore. Not at all. It feels like something else entirely. Then it's as if David's been acting without his own permission, because he yanks his hand away again. Matteo looks back at David's face.

He's so distracted that he forgets to be self conscious about his dancing. He barely even registers that he’s moving without David’s help now. He's too busy staring. David’s eyes look like the warmest place he’s ever been. They look like home. So he keeps looking.

He looks until David’s gone again.

He’s suddenly on the other side of the room before Matteo can even blink, unplugging his phone and shoving it in his pocket, jeans so tight it barely fits. The silence sounds even louder than the music did somehow. It's deafening. 

“So yeah… um… that was slow dancing.”

David shifts awkwardly from one foot to another, running his hand through his hair yet again. David’s normally so confident and collected, so Matteo never noticed that was a nervous tick of his, but now he’s seen him do it several times in the last 20 minutes or so. It would be endearing if Matteo weren't so frustrated, but he is. He’s frustrated enough that he feels like he might say something stupid any minute now. He walks towards David so quickly that David almost looks afraid, shrinking back and slightly into himself.

“What, the fuck,” Matteo states when he reaches David, barely a foot between them. “was that?”

“Slow dancing,” David repeats, but any attempt at nonchalance is negated by the look in his eyes. He looks afraid, Matteo realizes.

“Oh fuck off. No it wasn’t,” Matteo says, then pauses, “I mean, it was. But it also wasn’t.”

“What are you talking about?” David asks, crossing his arms.

Matteo can’t even believe this is happening. All these years, he never thought he’d be here. It occurs to him that he’s trying to get David to admit that he likes him, because now he knows. He _knows_ he does, and he also knows he likes David back. It’s been awakened inside him, as real as anything ever was. He keeps pushing.

“That wasn’t a lesson. None of this was a lesson,” and David’s looking away now, at Matteo’s floor.

“Yes it was. You asked me to teach you to dance so that’s what I was doing!” David sounds panicked, and if Matteo wasn’t so frustrated he’d give him a hug.

“You didn’t need to do _that_, though. It’s the way you were looking at me…” Matteo starts, and stops. Then, because he feels like he suddenly can’t stand, he walks back over to sit on the edge of his bed again.

When he looks back at David, he’s frozen in place and still staring at the floor. He looks so lonely over there, and Matteo never wants David to look like that. So he softens his voice and tries again.

“It’s okay,” he tells him, and then fuck it, “I mean… I liked it?”

David looks back up then and he looks shocked yet there’s something else too. Something Matteo feels like he has to get closer to see, so he stands up and walks until he’s in front of David again. And It’s hope. That’s what he sees.

“You… liked it?”

“Of course, couldn’t you tell?” Matteo smiles and David looks like he could melt. Matteo can’t believe he has the power to make him look like that. It's usually the other way around. 

And then David breathes out a laugh. “I thought it was just me,” he tells Matteo in a voice softer than Matteo’s ever heard, and he’s blushing.

Matteo didn’t even know David could blush, but he doesn’t have time to think about it because then David’s kissing him.

He’s kissing him gently, a slight brush of the lips before pulling back. But Matteo can’t let that happen, can’t let this stop, so he grabs the back of David’s neck and yanks him back in. They kiss longer this time and it’s so much more than Matteo ever thought a kiss could be. It’s bigger than anything else in the world, and more important.

When they stop kissing again several minutes later, Matteo can’t stand to not be touching him. He reaches out and curls a few strands of his hair around his index finger before catching his breath enough to speak.

“Hey David?” he asks, and David hums in that soothing way of his, just to show Matteo he’s listening.

"Will you go to my Mom’s wedding with me?”

And then David laughs and holds Matteo close and then closer still, kissing the top of his head gently before whispering in his ear.

“Of course. But only if you’ll dance with me.”

So they do.

**Author's Note:**

> This is kind of a mess (like Matteo's dancing lmaooo) but idk, it just happened somehow. Sorryy... thank you for reading though.


End file.
